A common misconception is that plain language is only needed in select situations. In reality, applying health literacy best practices—such as using clear, thoughtfully designed language—benefits everyone, including professionals working in highly technical fields like data science.
In this on-demand webinar, originally presented on May 8, 2025, leaders from the Society for Clinical Data Management (SCDM), the Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium (CDISC), and the MRCT Center explore the essential role of plain language tools, such as the Clinical Research Glossary, in advancing understanding and engagement. They share how their organizations are fostering a culture of health literacy that supports both industry professionals and the broader research community, including patients, participants, and caregivers.
Innovative approaches to long-term follow-up (LTFU) in gene therapy (GT), including Registries and Platform Trials. While GTs may offer transformative health benefits, long-term safety monitoring is often essential and can span years or decades. Our panelists will explore scientific and logistical challenges, along with emerging solutions.
Dr. Lembit Rago, Secretary-General of the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS), delivered a compelling keynote on CIOMS initiatives to define and synthesize professional competencies essential for clinical research and emphasized the importance of cooperative agreements to harmonize workforce development efforts.
The session also highlighted the Joint Task Force for Clinical Trial Competency (JTF) Framework as a foundational tool for training and professional development, addressing the challenges and opportunities in recruiting and retaining a diverse and capable workforce.
Sally Armstrong, CEO of PRAXIS Australia, shared how PRAXIS has incorporated the JTF Framework into their educational offerings—including courses, workshops, and immersive onsite training programs.
Susan Landis, Executive Director of the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP), discussed ACRP’s “Partners Advancing the Clinical Research Workforce” initiative, which uses the JTF Framework to support a diverse and qualified clinical research workforce through training programs, resources, and strategic collaborations.
A recording of the webinar and the presentation slides are available here:
A key aspect of health literacy—especially in clinical research—is understanding what data is collected, how it is protected, and how it is used during and after a study. Truly informed consent requires transparency about data practices so that participants can make educated decisions.
During this webinar we discuss the importance of data literacy, explore practical applications for research teams, and unveil new materials designed to support participants and the broader research community.
Key Topics:
Advancing Data Literacy as a Component of Health Literacy: Explore how understanding research data supports informed decision-making and aligns with broader health literacy efforts.
Applying Plain Language and Visual Tools to Data Communication: Learn how the MRCT Center and PHUSE have used plain language and infographics to make clinical research data more accessible.
Empowering Participants with Transparent and Actionable Information: Identify ways to integrate data literacy resources into your clinical research processes to support research trust and engagement.
The MRCT Center, on behalf of the Convergence Project hosted a virtual event focused on workforce development strategies to support a more dynamic and competitive clinical research workforce. This meeting brought together community leaders, policymakers, and researchers to discuss how to create and support pathways into the clinical trial workforce (e.g., part-time degree programs, community colleges, fellowships). Key topics included workforce development, targeted recruitment, and actionable steps to drive systemic improvements, and meeting attendees had the opportunity to pose questions to panelists leading programs in Georgia, North Carolina, South Dakota, and other states across the country.
This webinar was co-hosted by the MRCT Center and NYU’s Pediatric Gene Therapy and Medical Ethics (PGTME) Working Group as a part of their 5th Annual Lunchtime Learning Series. The panel on Long-Term Follow-Up (LTFU) was moderated by Dr. Carolyn Chapman and captured the ethical, regulatory, and operational challenges of LTFU studies through diverse viewpoints and perspectives.
To celebrate Health Literacy Month, the MRCT Center presented three engaging and informative webinars to provide practical tools and discussions to incorporate health literacy and accessibility best practices into communicating participant-facing clinical research information.
Description: Spearheaded by the MRCT Center, AAHRPP, PRIM&R, and Mass General Brigham, the Research Ethics Action Collaborative for HRPPs (REACH) is an initiative designed to curate, align, and disseminate tools to advance representative inclusion in research—for all potential participants–tailored for Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), Human Research Protection Programs (HRPPs), and the broader community.
Join the REACH collaborative webinar on improving PowerPoint presentations through clear, accessible, and inclusive methods. We will show, through examples from the Accessibility by Design in Clinical Research Toolkit, how to apply accessibility tools to health literate communications. Because much communication is now virtual, we’ll explore how to make PowerPoint content readable and approachable, formatted for accessibility, and inclusive of people with disabilities.
Description: This webinar features experts from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute who will share their experience in developing a patient advocacy-driven return of results process for making Plain Language Summaries available to participants in breast cancer-related studies.
The moderator, MRCT Center Program Director Sylvia Baedorf Kassis, is joined by panelists from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute: Paula Steeves, Lead Patient Advocate, Breast Oncology, Christine McLaughlin, Patient Research Advocate, and Timothy Erick, Science Writer.
Key Topics:
The core elements of creating and disseminating Plain Language Summaries.
What results to return, who to involve in the creation process, and how to approach dissemination.
How to start returning results with your study participants. Share your experiences and get answers to your questions in a moderated discussion and Q&A session.
Description: This informative webinar leverages experience from the Office of Human Research Protections, the All of Us Research Program, and the MRCT Center to highlight resources and approaches for communicating informed consent information in innovative, participant-centered ways that support empowered decision-making.
The moderator, Sylvia Baedorf Kassis, joins the panelists, Marianna Azar of the Office for Human Research Protections and Katherine Blizinsky from the All of Us Research Program.
Implementing a participant-centric approach, utilizing the Clinical Research Glossary, and integrating innovative elements into the consent process.
Participate in a moderated discussion and Q&A session to delve deeper into ways to enhance the informed consent process. Share your experiences and get answers to your questions.
